Paul and Lucy Spadoni periodically live in Tuscany to explore Paul’s Italian roots, practice their Italian and enjoy “la dolce vita.”
All work is copyrighted and may not be reprinted without written permission from the author, who can be contacted at www.paulspadoni.com

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Some roads closed in family research

Wednesday,
April 04

A week
ago, I developed some exciting leads in my family tree project, but since then, I
have only run into disappointing road blocks.

The
records from the 1800s in Pescia said that two of great grandfather Pietro’s
brothers had moved from Pescia to Montecarlo, which is also where Pietro moved.
This opened up possibilities that their descendants were living near us here
and that I could find their records here. But the comune in Montecarlo has no
information on brothers Francesco and Angelo. They have Pietro’s records, but
this information I already have. I can only assume that these brothers moved
instead to a commune near Montecarlo, so I will try looking at Altopascio and
maybe Chiesina Uzzanese.

Another
disappointment occurs when I see Silvano Celli, the retired bike repairman, at the
fruit stand this morning in San Salvatore. I found last week that Pietro’s
sister Gioconda married a Cesare Celli, and I think that perhaps Gioconda
Spadoni and Cesare may be Silvano’s great grandparents. However, Silvano
doesn’t want to talk about it. I start stumbling through my explanation about
doing family research, but when I start asking about his family, he says, “Non mi interessa affatto in queste cose.”
It is clear that he doesn’t want me asking any more questions, so what can I
say? OK, va bene, buon giorno, and
that’s the end of that road, at least for now.

I really
don’t have the slightest idea why he shut down so quickly. Did I ask
incorrectly? Is this too personal a matter to broach at a public market? Is he
suspicious of my motives? Is it too much trouble trying to talk to someone who
can’t speak Italian well? Or does he just really not like talking about his
ancestors?

This plaque in Pescia credits FrancescoMarchi, perhaps a distant relative, with an efficient and scientific system foraccounting.

Oh, well,
I am off to Pescia for some research in a different direction. Since I found so
much information in the state archives last week on the family of Pellegrino,
maybe I can find the stato di famiglia
for the father of Maria Marchi, my great grandmother. Giuseppe Marchi was born
in 1799, and stato di famiglia
records exist only from 1866 onward, so the chances are slim that I will find
anything.

An added
problem is that the Marchi family was and is extensive in Pescia. I find three
streets, one bridge and a plaque bearing the Marchi name. The current mayor is
Roberta Marchi, and there are 26 Marchi families listed in the phone book. The
archives have well over 200 index cards with the Marchi name, including about
10 for various Giuseppes. I have left the name of Giuseppe’s wife back in the
apartment, so there is no use asking the clerk to show me the books for every
Giuseppe, because by 1866 daughter Maria was already married and moved away,
and without the name of his spouse, I have no way to recognize the correct
Giuseppe even if I found him.

Had I not
already recovered such abundant information in other outings, I might be more
discouraged now. I really didn’t expect to find as much as I already have, so
anything else is really a bonus. And when I do find more, the little frustrations
of today will make the rewards of tomorrow seem more satisfying.-------------------------Update: Two years later, I wrote "I finally have a talk with cousin Leino"

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First off, before you hassle me about our title, Lucy thought of it. Yes, I know some people may think broad is derogatory, but the etymology is uncertain and she doesn’t find it offensive, and it made me laugh. We have been married since 1974 and are empty-nesters now, which allows me to bring my submerged Italophilia into the open. We first came to live in Italy from February-April in 2011 and have returned during the same months every year. From 2011-2015, we lived in San Salvatore, at the foot of the hilltop city Montecarlo, where my paternal grandparents were born, raised and, in 1908, married. In late 2015, we bought a home in Montecarlo. We come for a variety of purposes: We want to re-establish contact with distant cousins in both Nonno’s and Nonna’s families, we want to learn the language and see what it is like to live as Italians in modern Italy, we like to travel and experience different cultures. Even if we aren’t successful at achieving these purposes, we love Italy and enjoy every moment here, so there is no chance we will be disappointed. I am grateful to God for giving me a wife who is beautiful, clever, adaptable and willing to jump into my dreams wholeheartedly.